Seven Months
by Kailynn Sanchez
Summary: "We don't want you anymore, Matt," Joan spat at me. "We don't want you, your slut of a girlfriend, or plans centered around your kid." I walked away, tears biting at my eyes, not wanting her to see that I had broken because of my love for an unborn child.
1. The Fact that I Loved Her

**using characters a a little plot from a non fanfiction book i'm writing with a friend ("Skylark Evanson" is her penname). no idea how long it's gonna be or exactly what's gonna be in it. but i've got the gist of it planned out. ENJOY!**

**DISCLAIMER: i don't own TSAL, but i own a few of the charries and co-own the others.**

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POV: Matt

That night was what did it. Just that one night that ruined both of our lives. Forever.

I climbed the built-in ladder that led up to Lucinda's bedroom balcony. That fact that I loved her was the only thing that made me sneak out in the middle of the night to see her. That and she had a bad dream and I needed to comfort her, and doing that usually got me a little something in return.

But that night I got more than a _little_ in return. I got a _lot_ more for my comforting than either of us was really ready for. It had just… happened. Before we knew it, we were rolling around on her bed naked, not really caring if anyone heard us or saw us. We weren't scared of the consequences.

I held her that night and stroked her black hair about a thousand times. I might've fallen asleep there in her bed, but her little sister walking down the hall on a midnight walk to the bathroom reminded me that I wasn't allowed to be here right now. She could come in here at any moment and see more of me than she'd ever want to.

So I climbed out of the bed carefully to prevent the springs from groaning. I reached for my boxers on the floor.

"Where are you going?" Lucinda asked, pulling the sheet above her naked breasts.

"Home."

"Why?"

"I'm not supposed to be here. I love you, but…"

"It shouldn't have happened," she finished for me.

"Right. That."

"It'll be okay. I know it will."

"But what if I got you pregnant? I'd never be able to get over the guilt." I pulled my jeans on.

She got up and stood next to me, her arms wrapped loosely around my waist. "I know you don't want to leave."

"I never want to leave you." I gently got her arms away without being too rude and pulled my shirt back over my head.

"Then why are you?"

"I'm not leaving for good. Just… for a few hours until I see you in the morning."

She let me leave through the balcony door and climb down. She watched me the whole time, outside, and not wearing anything over her beautiful bare body.

When I got to the solid ground, I looked up at her. Her brown eyes were still pleading with me to come back, but I had to resist that urge. I sent her a kiss from my fingertips and ran across the street back to my house.


	2. Lightning Struck

**POV: Lucinda**

"It's positive," Sam said. My sister handed me the test. "When did this happen, Lucinda?"

I could only stare at the little pink "+" on the test. This couldn't be happening. I couldn't be pregnant. I'd promised Matt that everything would be okay, but now it wasn't. And the fact that my best friend was living in his house… I couldn't keep this from both of them – but I could try.

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I finally decided to tell matt that October. I couldn't stand it anymore, and I didn't know if I should keep it or get an abortion. Honestly, I was all for keeping it, but I had no idea what matt wanted.

Sitting down on the bus, I started trying to put words together before he got next to me. I didn't get very far before Matt sat down and asked what was wrong.

Tears started to form. I couldn't tell him. But I couldn't let him see my abdomen get larger and larger every week and not wonder what I had hidden under there.

"Luc, what is it?" He held my hands and pressed his lips to my cheek for a moment. "Did I do something wrong?"

"Matt, I'm… I'm…"

"You're what?"

I put my hand on my stomach, right above my belt-buckle, hoping that he'd gotten my silent message. It was easier than wasting time trying to find the words. I was never good with words, anyways.

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POV: Matt

I felt like I was stabbed in the gut.

"Are you sure?" I asked hesitantly.

She nodded.

My eyes wandered around a bit. To the aisle, out the window, at our fingers entwined. I stared at the spot on her that would be bulging in a few short months.

I rested my forehead on her shoulder. The only thing I was really worried about was my dad. He didn't want a grandchild at 39. I didn't want a kid at 14.

Lightning flashed outside. The bus pulled up a block away from my house and stopped. Lucinda and I got out. My legs felt stiff.

She hugged me goodbye and headed across the street to her house. I wondered how she was taking it.

The rain started instantly pouring down. No one was left on the streets but me. I almost didn't notice the tears streaming down my cheeks.

I stepped into my house slowly, facing the front door as I closed it. Staying in that position for a while, I didn't want to look at who was there first to greet me.

"You okay?" my older brother, Lee, asked me.

"I'm fine," I mumbled, slipping off my wet sneakers in the process.

"Hey." He grabbed my shoulder and turned me around. "What's wrong?"

"Dammit, I got Lucinda pregnant, okay?" I pushed past him and ran up to my room.

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**R&R!**


	3. It Doesn't Really Matter

**POV: Matt**

Lee came in my room and sat next to where I was laying face-down on my bed. My head was stuffed in a pillow.

"When'd it happen?" he asked quietly.

"Almost 2 months ago," I said.

"Is she keeping it?"

"Most likely."

"Do _you_ want to keep it?"

I sat up and looked at him. "I don't know. That never really came up."

"Well it'll need a father."

"I know. I'm just not sure right now if that father should be me."

His grey eyes looked into my blue ones. "You'd make a good father, Matt. I know you would."

I hugged him. I know he wasn't really my brother. No one in my family had the dusty red hair and grey eyes that he had. And my mom would never cheat. She was too in love with my father to do that. I'd come to the conclusion a few years ago that Lee had been adopted, or something like that. No one ever told me what had really gotten him into this family. And I didn't really care too much. We were close enough to be brothers, so that's what I said we were.

He took me out to eat that night – just the two of us. We needed to talk about some things.

"Were you protected?" he asked after the waitress was gone.

"No."

"Did you two even _think_ what would happen?"

"No."

He sighed. "Matt, what is so fucked up in your life that you would just go out and bring even more responsibility on someone else?"

"I didn't try to, okay? It just… happened. We didn't think until after it was over and too late!" I felt tears starting to build up behind my eyes.

"Hey, calm down. You don't need to get upset." He didn't bring it up for the rest of the night.

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When it was getting late, Lee came to my room and stood in the doorway. "You gonna be okay?" he asked.

"I should be," I answered, stuffing a binder into my backpack. "Hey, Lee?"

"Yeah?" He stuck his head back in the doorway.

"Can… can you stay with me tonight?"

He sighed and looked at me very carefully. "Sure."

I hadn't asked him to stay with me for years. I'd grown up since then. But that night, I felt extremely vulnerable and needed his protection.

I liked having his warm body there that I could snuggle up next to. I liked having his strong arms around me. I liked the feeling that I got when he held me even though we weren't really blood relatives. It didn't really matter.

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**R&R!**


	4. April 4th

**POV: Lucinda**

Matt never said what he wanted to do with the baby. He never mentioned it out of fear or humility, I didn't know which. Men are so hard to figure out…

My best friend, Allyssa, that had been living with him, had found out about two months later when I started showing. It was hard to hide in the locker rooms when changing for gym class.

My parents… it would be best to not mention how they found out about my little "condition". To sugarcoat it, they were not happy. And that was sugarcoating with about 100 layers of sugar, sprinkles, and all that crap. They were letting me keep it, though. Sam was getting married and was moving out in a couple months, so the baby would get her room. Since they found out, my life had partially been easier. Except for the whole, you know, huge stomach and not getting into my skinny-jeans.

It was late March, and I was getting into my seventh month. Life was starting to get miserable. I couldn't participate in gym because my stomach and the kid was sucking up all of my energy.

In short – life sucked on my end of this parenthood.

**POV: Matt**

I remembered that very last day of Spring break. April 4th. The day that my life completely changed forever.

The best part? I was sleeping when it started.

My phone started ringing from under my pillow. I always kept it there just in case Lucinda had an emergency. I pulled it out. "Hello?"

"Matt? This is Lucinda's father," came the voice from the other end. "She just went into labor and we're getting her to the hospital."

"Oh… oh my god… I'll be at the hospital as soon as I can." I hung up and ran to wake my dad.

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I ran up to that maternity ward as fast as I could without running into any nurses or doctors. This was… huge.

I saw her dad standing outside the wall with the glass window in it that showed all the newborns. "Is it in there?"

"Yup. Second row, third one in from the left."

I looked in. The baby was in a blue one-piece outfit. It was a boy. I always knew that it would be a boy. I just had a feeling about it.

"What's his name?" I asked.

"You and Lucinda still need to figure that out. We promised that we wouldn't do anything with the name. It's your child, you name it."

I smiled. I had _some_ freedom about this baby. I needed to be a part of the little guy's life, even if it was just naming him.

Allyssa appeared at my side. "Is that him?" She pointed.

"Yeah." I slipped my arm around her waist. We had always been close friends. Maybe closer than we should've been… but I loved her like my sister.

She hugged me. "He's so cute, Matt." She looked up at me, her blue eyes sparkling. "He's gonna look like you. I just know he is."

"Thanks." I let go of her and dragged her to Lucinda's room. "Let's go see her."


	5. Love for an Unborn Child

**next chappie!

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POV: Matt

_I ran beside Joan for the last stretch of land towards her house. Her red hair was flying behind her in the light wind. Chelsea and Nike _**(Nike is like "Mike" but with an N. **_**NOT**_** Nike like the shoes.)**_ were next to me, trying to keep up with our friend. The sky was grey and clouds were rolling in from the east. Rain was going to be here soon._

_Joan rounded a corner and ran up the driveway to Chelsea's house. She stopped, hands on her knees, and breathed heavily for a minute. "Wow, that was fun."_

_"Yeah. We need to do that more often," I said, coming up beside her and copying her position._

_"Matt, no."_

_I stood up. "What do you mean?"_

_Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Chelsea shake her head subtly._

_"Never mind," Joan said, and straightened up. "It's not important right now."_

_We ran up to Chelsea's front door, me hanging in the back with Nike. He put his hand on my shoulder and shot me a sympathetic look. Everyone was acting so weird lately. And weird in our group is like retarded in the outside world._

_Nike ran up and inside the house with me a few feet behind him. Joan started shutting the door in front of me._

_"Hey! Joan!" I yelled. I ran up to the door and used my hand to keep it from closing. "What are you doing?"_

_"Go away, Matt. Just go away."_

_"What?"_

_"We don't want you anymore, Matt," Joan spat at me. "We don't want you, your slut of a girlfriend, or plans centered around your kid."_

_I walked away, tears biting at my eyes, not wanting her to see that I had broken because of my love for an unborn child._

_As I walked home, the rain started pouring down. It was just like the day that I found out about the baby. The day I found out about it was like the same exact day that my friends found out about it._

_My life was going down the drain._

**R&R!**


	6. Never Gonna Let You Go

**POV: Matt**

It hurt that I barely had any friends left. I had Lucinda. I had Allyssa. I sometimes had Darren, but he never seemed to care about me anymore. The last time _he'd_ cared was over six months ago. So I had only two friends left, not counting family.

I hadn't told anyone about that little encounter with Joan almost two months ago. No one ever asked why I didn't hang out with Chelsea or Nike anymore. They didn't care that Joan was never at my house breaking something or using up all of our whipped-cream on her thigh-fat sugar-packed sandwiches. Or starting fires.

But when I saw my little boy in my girlfriend's arms, it all faded away. It was just me, her, and our son. I couldn't stop smiling.

Lucinda looked up at me from the bed-like thing that she had given birth on. "He has your eyes."

She was right. Our son _did_ have the sparkling, bright blue eyes that looked back at me from the mirror every day. I put a hand gently on his head. He was really mine.

"He has your nose," I told her in a whisper. I kissed her cheek.

"What should we name him?"

"What do _you_ want to name him? I'm fine with anything as long as it's not stupid."

"I actually made a list of names that I liked. It's in my bag over there." She pointed to a counter.

I turned around and saw the blue, pink, and purple bag that was stuffed with diapers and clothes. "Are you not embarrassed to be seen with that thing?"

"Our child or my baby-bag?"

"The bag."

"It's a baby bag. It's supposed to look stupid."

I reached into an outside pocket and pulled out a piece of folded up notebook paper. I handed it to Lucinda.

_Bryan Christopher_

_Jeffrey Marcus_

_Marcus Alexander_

_Michael Anthony_

_Christopher Jacob_

_Logan Alexander_

I looked from the list to my son over and over again, trying to see if the names would fit. "I think he looks like a Christopher Jacob. He looks like a Chris."

Lucinda looked at him carefully. "Yeah, you're right. Christopher Jacob, it is."

Carefully, I took Chris out of her arms and held him against my chest. He had to work to keep his eyes open.

"Hi," I whispered to him. "I know you may not know it, but I'm your daddy. And you're my son." I lowered my voice even more, so that I could just barely hear it. "And I'm not ever going to let you go."


	7. Bless the Broken Road

**POV: Lucinda**

I watched Matt hold Chris against his chest. I smiled, knowing that he was going to raise him, too, and it wouldn't be just me doing all the work.

Matt gave Chris back to me and sat down on my right side, his arm over my shoulders. "Wow. He's actually… here. Finally."

I held Chris with one arm and patted my stomach with the other hand. "And I'm skinny again."

He let out a shaky laugh. "That, too."

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When we got the baby home that night, his room was already set up and ready for him. Sam's husband, coincidentally Allyssa's older brother, had gotten everything put together the week before, just in case the baby came early – which he did. I know it's a little weird, but I liked seeing him in a tight-fitting tank-that was sweat-soaked in some areas. What was better is that he was doing it all for me… and the baby.

Matt brought Chris upstairs and into his new room. He had never let go of him the whole car-ride home, and Chris never cried. I could tell that he was going to be a good kid – the kind that does everything someone asks him to do. That's good for Matt and I. We won't – hopefully – have to punish him as much.

Allyssa stayed with us the whole time, too. She lived with Matt, so she was only across the street, but didn't go home for some time. She already loved Chris, too.

It was late the night that I finally got home with Chris, almost midnight. Allyssa and I were talking outside of Chris's new room while Matt was trying to sing him to sleep. His smooth voice calmed me down even more than not being pregnant did. "_Every long lost dream led me to where you are. Others who broke my heart, they were like Northern stars, pointing me on my way into your loving arms_."

"Well," Allyssa said. "It's over."

"_This much I know is true; that God blessed the broken road that led me straight to you_."

"No," I replied. "It's just beginning."


	8. Need and Love

**here's chapter 8 for ya! new poll on my profile, and new stories coming up. _check them out!_

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POV: Matt

Both Lucinda and I were at school the first day after Spring Break ended, and everyone was surprised to see her abdomen back to its normal size. That morning, I had needed to convince her to leave Chris home, and not take him to school like she wanted to. Taking care of him was hard enough, and we didn't need to have our parental responsibilities carry over to school.

I agreed to let her bring pictures, though. Pictures weren't exactly a huge responsibility, like a kid was. And I just wanted everyone to know how cute Chris was, and how dedicated we were as his parents.

When Lucinda was showing the twenty-some pictures to a few of her friends, Joan came up to me. "You've got a cute kid."

"Thanks," I said curtly. I really didn't care what she had to say to me or Lucinda. She really didn't deserve to say anything to either of us, either.

"Do you have pictures?"

"Didn't you see Lucinda's?"

"I caught a glimpse of them. But Martha's big head blocked my view."

I glared at her and walked away. Lucinda's friends were my friends… kinda. I was close enough to them so that I could trust them, but not so much as I had dared to trust Joan and her crew. Nike and Chelsea were still partially on my good list, but also partially on my bad list. They weren't exactly forgiving about me having the child, but they had to follow Joan, or they would be sorry in the end. I didn't mind. I didn't need them anymore. I had Lucinda, Allyssa, Martha, and April. And Darren some of the time, but ever since he moved to California, he's only called Allyssa. That's what I get for putting my two best friends in a relationship. I get hurt.

Allyssa sat next to me, smiling her ass off and shaking her head in mock disappointment. "Look what you've done with your life."

"What do you mean?"

"You're son's in a picture gallery. Your ex-girlfriend, make that ex-girfriend_s_, are interested in him. And you're sitting back here and letting it all pass by you like it's a summer breeze."

"And your point is? I like this life. I have people that need me."

"Is that better than people that love you?"

I sat up in my chair, letting the front legs rest on the floor, and looked at her. "Where are you going with this? Okay, I know we live together, but we can't go out again. That was a disaster."

She laughed.

"I was way off, wasn't I?"

"Just a bit." She flipped her long, golden hair out of her eyes. "What I mean is that even though people need you, it doesn't mean they love you. They might need you there to, let's say do their homework, but they don't give you any appreciation in return."

"Well Chris is gonna love me. If he doesn't, I'm gonna disown him."

Allyssa's perfect, shiny blue eyes got wide. "Really?"

It was my turn to laugh. "No. I'm not ever gonna let him go. Ever. Neva, eva, eva."

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**reviewww! the more reviews, the faster i updatee!**


	9. It'll be fun

**sorry i haven't posted in for_ever_. school's been keeping my busy, and Skylark Evanson finally got my Sims2 game installed. that game's addictive...**

**so anyway, here's chapter nine!**

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POV: Matt

I sat down that night at ten o'clock and started my homework for the night. It had been two years, and Chris still hadn't learned that if he doesn't get to bed early, Daddy's cranky the next day. Mainly because once I put him to bed at Lucinda's, make out with her for a little bit, get back an hour after I preferably want to get to bed and _still_ have to do my three hours of homework. Those are keys to a grumpy Daddy the next morning.

Lee came in my room. He was supposed to be in college right now, but he was taking a few days off before his winter break to spend time with me and the family. "How you doing?"

"Horrible," I muttered, trying to keep the numbers on my algebra homework straight. "Chris is ruining my life."

"You're gonna regret saying that once he matures a little bit more."

I turned to him quickly and stood up from my chair. "_You're_ the one with the perfect girlfriend! _You're_ the one who gets to take off time from school because you _can_! _You're_ the one who can do anything with your life and not let it hurt you! _I'm_ the one who has to bust his ass by taking care of his kid and keep up with school because I have finals coming up and getting to bed at one in the morning and waking up five hours later doesn't help worth a fuck!"

"Matt, chill. Okay, just lie down. I'll finish your homework for you. Just… go to bed."

"_No! _I'm not a quitter! I have to finish it myself, or it's not gonna do me anything!"

"True, but a good night's sleep will help a lot better than three hours of cramming will."

I just looked at him. "Why are you helping me? They're my problems. I need to deal with them myself."

"I'm also your big brother. I'm _supposed_ to do this." He looked carefully at my face. "Oh god, Matt, come with me."

"What?"

He led me to the bathroom and sat me down on the closed toilet seat. He grabbed a rag and ran it under some warm water.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"Washing your face up. It looks like you've been crying."

"Well I haven't."

"Your eyes are red and your cheeks have tear trails on them. Don't lie to me." He knelt down in front of me and gently rubbed my face with the warm rag.

"Lee?" I asked.

"Yeah?"

"You're too nice for your own good."

He smiled. "Thanks."

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(That Spring…)

"You're up a_gain_?" Lee asked.

"Yes. What'd you expect? That kid's ruining my life. I'm surprised I haven't gone and killed myself by now."

Oh, that got his attention.

"You know what you should do?" he asked as he dared to step farther into my room and closer to me.

"What?"

"You should come with me to that camp down in Illinois this summer. C'mon, it'll be fun."

"I don't want to go to some damn church camp."

"Matt, it's really fun. And when all the girls swoon over me and my guitar playing, won't you want to say that it's _your_ older brother?"

"Just you showing off. You can put yourself out there, unlike me. I can't be free like you."

"Just come with me. It'll be fun."

I looked up at him.

"I promise."

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**PLEASE review! if i get less and less reviews, the slower and slower i'll update. and i like to update this story. it's fun ^.^**


	10. Telling it the Way it is

**if you guys would just review this, i would update sooner, i promise!

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POV: Matt

I can't believe Lee.

I just can't believe he dragged me down here to stinking Illinois for a freaking church summer camp.

This is gonna be horrible.

When Lee pulled up into the college parking lot with his pick-up truck, most of the campers crowded around the truck.

"You're like a celebrity here," I laughed.

"You have no idea."

I just stared at him. "They really love you, don't they?"

"Yeah. I'm awesome. And for the record, I got the title from them. I'm not as arrogant as you think I am."

"I know."

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At dinner, Lee toured me of the cafeteria and when to get in line for what to beat the crowds. He sat me down at his favorite table with some of his friends. He hugged a couple of the guys, even some of the girls. It was a few minutes before he paid me any attention.**_

"Hey guys, this is my little brother… well _kinda_ my little brother, Matt," Lee said, putting one of his arms around my shoulders.

"What do you mean, 'kinda?'" one of the guys asked.

"We're not genetically related. Remember last year I told you that I was taken in by a family a few years ago?"

Most of the campers nodded.

"Well it was his family. It's like we're actually related now, we're so close."

I picked at my spaghetti and meat-balls. I still didn't really want to be here. Lee was trying to make it all better by whispering that everything here was okay every few minutes, but it really didn't help much at all.

"He really doesn't want to be here, does he?" one of Lee's friends, Andy asked.

"No, he does not. I seriously had to pack his bags for him, and a couple days ago I literally picked him up and dragged him into my truck. The same thing when we were at a motel last night. He didn't want to go _any_where."

I sat back in my chair. "Would you stop, please?" I muttered, rubbing the embarrassment from my eyes.

"Hey, I'm just telling it the way it is. I can't lie to these guys."

"Well then why did you even bring me here in the first place?" I stood up and dumped my tray, with all of the food still on it.


	11. Laughter is a Remedy

**yes, i haven't updated in forever.**

**and no, you people haven't been reviewing.**

**see the pattern here?**

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POV: Matt

I ran outside and down a dirt path that lead somewhere that was unknown to me.

"Matt!" Lee caught up and flung me around to face him. "What's the matter with you?"

"You're being such a damn bastard back there and treating me like shit and-"

And then he hit me.

He actually hit me.

Just smacked me right across the face.

"_Shut up_." Lee just stared at me for a few seconds with a look of burning fury in his grey eyes that soon faded. "I'm sorry." He put his arms around me and just held me for a while from then on out.

I just stood there awkwardly with him holding me. At that moment, I didn't want him to touch me. I didn't want that damn guy near me.

"Matt, these people look up to me. I can't be some guy that's frozen up. I come out with humor; you _know_ that. You've always been open to me teasing you like that."

"You crossed the line, Lee."

"I'm sorry." He held me tighter and tighter until I felt like I couldn't breathe. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'll say it a thousand times if I have to."

"I'd like to see that."

He was quiet for a while, until I felt him finger-taze me in the side.

I jerked away from him crossing my arms and covering my sides if he decided to try it again. "Lee!"

"Oh, come on! Smile! I know you wanna smile!" He attacked me and started tickling me all over until I was literally on the ground with him on top of me. "Yeah, you're smiling! You love it!"

"Get off of me!" I shoved him away and stood up, brushing the dirt off of me. "You're a freak."

"But you're still smiling!" He stood up and ran at me again.

I put my arms up defensively in front of my chest. "Lee-"

He just hugged me nice and tight and stuffed his face into my neck and shoulder like he sometimes did when he regretted something. "I love you, Matt. Never forget that. I love you and I always will."

"I know." I managed to wriggle my arms out from his embrace and hugged him back. "I love you, too, Lee."

After a few seconds, he let me go and kissed the side of my head. "You okay?"

"Like you always say back at home, laughter is a remedy."

He smiled and raked his fingers through my long bangs. "Your hair was messed up."

"Thanks."

We walked back to the dining hall with our arms around each other's shoulders. And it felt good.

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**PLEASE REVIEWWWWWWW!**


	12. My Little Boy

**okay, i decided to end this in one chapter because i couldn't bear to keep it going without any reviews coming in. so... last chapter. honestly, i liked it. AND I LOOKED UP SYMBOLISM FOR IT! yeah i know i'm lame .

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POV: Lucinda

"He's gotten quite handsome," Allyssa said.

"I know," I said.

Chris paused his videogame and looked up at us.

I smiled. "It's okay, keep playing, honey."

"I will when you two married women stop hitting on a sixteen-year old."

I knelt next to him and pulled him against me. "I love you, my little handsome boy." I kissed his forehead and then his cheek.

"_Mother_!"

"Sorry, sorry. I forgot that you're sixteen and too cool to be seen with your mother who isn't even as twice as old as you." I got up again and went back to the table where me and Allyssa had been talking forever.

"I love you, ma."

"What about me?" Allyssa asked.

He shifted his gaze to her. "Yeah, umm… sure."

"I'm your aunt. You're supposed to love me."

"Not my aunt by blood, though," he unfroze his game and started playing again.

"Yes, but your father's parents adopted me just about a day after you were born. I'm close enough."

He turned and winked at her.

"Lucinda, your son's hitting on a married woman!"

"Mom, a married woman's hitting on me!"

"Calm down, you two," I said, rubbing my temples. Another headache.

Almost on cue, Matt dad came down the stairs. "You ready, Chris?"

"Yes!" He jumped up from the floor and ran out the door before my husband.

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POV: Matt

"Awkward conversation?" I asked as we started into a warm-up jog.

"It started getting painful when ma got a headache."

"Ah. I hate her headaches."

"You're not the only one." Chris stepped up his pace and started passing me for a change.

"And you're getting faster." I sped up a bit so I wouldn't get left behind.

He didn't say much until we were taking a quick cool-down lap around the local park. "You were thirteen when you and ma had me?"

I knew that he had figured it out a long time ago, but I thought that he didn't care. This was the first time that he's asked about our age when he was born. I swallowed. "Yeah. Thirteen."

"Why so young?"

I stopped and leaned over with my hands on my knees, breathing heavily. "Do we have to talk about this _now_?"

"I've been keeping it quiet since fourth grade, dad! It's about time I learned about it!"

"Sit down." I gestured to a patch of shaded grass beneath a tall birch tree. "Your ma and I didn't plan on having you."

"But you did." He sat down and looked up at me bitterly.

"Don't give me that look."

"You're both hypocrites."

I nearly smacked him, but I kept my arms at my sides. "We made a mistake-"

He stood up quickly. "So now I'm a _mistake_?"

"No! Chris, no!" I stepped forward, trying to put my arms around him.

"Don't touch me."

"Chris," I moaned and crouched down with my arms wrapped around my chest. "_You_ weren't the mistake. We didn't mean to have sex that young. Honestly, we didn't. But you came and we've loved you ever since. I've loved you since you ma told me that she was pregnant. I've never _not_ loved you."

"You still said I was a mistake."

"I never said that _you_ were the mistake, Chris! I said that what we did was a mistake, and you just came from it!"

"Same thing. Now it's just indirect." He started running off, with me still sitting under the tree.

_**

* * *

**I slowly opened Chris' door a few hours later when I was going to say goodnight to him. There were soft sobs coming from his bed._

"Chris?"

He just pulled a sheet over him and flipped so that I couldn't see his face.

"I'm sorry about what I said. I didn't mean it like that. We wanted you, yes, but not at thirteen. We had you, though. You're a _huge_ part of our lives and we're not ever going to let you go."

Chris took in a shaky breath. "I know."

I sat on the edge of his bed and moved the covers a bit so I could see the back of his head, but not his face. "Do you forgive me?"

"I guess."

I leaned down and kissed the back of his head. "I love you, Chris."

My son turned over and put his arms around my neck. "I love you, too, dad."

The doctors had said that he wouldn't be able to make it with only seven months of development in a teenager's womb. But my little boy proved them wrong.


End file.
